Getting to sleep used to be a huge issue for me, and sometimes it still is. It was hard to get my overactive mind to slow down. I also had a tendency to wake up an hour before the alarm feeling anxious. While there are a number of ways to approach this problem, the way I chose was to listen to relaxation recordings on my iPod. Whether they are called different names, like mindfulness, meditation, guided visualization or self-hypnosis, they have a lot in common: slow, deep breathing, feelings of calm/peace and perhaps a tranquil scene (often the beach). Some are accompanied by soothing music or sound effects, such as ocean surf or rain. The voice may be male, female or both.
After listening every night for a few weeks, I found that I didn’t need the recording any more. I could just go *there*, however I still like to use them, particularly after a tiring day.
I was going to post links to the ones on my iPod, but I don’t remember where I got them all, so I’ll post them as I find them. Feel free to add your favourites as well. We can all use a little more relaxation!
To start, Mary Maddux has a number of guided meditations she distributes as a free podcast, which you will find here: http://www.meditationoasis.com/podcast/listen-to-podcast/
I know there are free iPod aps for sleeping, but I have not tried any, so I can’t recommend one, but if you would like to try, here is an example: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/relax-sleep-well-by-glenn/id412690467?mt=8
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